Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!usc!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!think.com!think.com!hiebeler From: hiebeler@think.com (Dave Hiebeler) Newsgroups: comp.theory.cell-automata Subject: Re: CA extensions Message-ID: Date: 7 Feb 91 16:24:16 GMT References: <1991Feb7.015620.17304@unicorn.cc.wwu.edu> Sender: news@Think.COM Organization: Thinking Machines Corporation Lines: 34 In-Reply-To: n8443916@unicorn.cc.wwu.edu's message of 7 Feb 91 01:56:20 GMT John Gossman (n8443916@unicorn.cc.wwu.edu) wrote: > [description of simulation] > I have noted that the life-time seems to reach plateaus for 100s of > generations, then jump up suddenly, usually at the same key points (24 > -> 30, 34 -> 42), offering support for Gould's puncuated equilibrium > theory of evolution. This offers support for a theory of punctuated equilibrium in a CA-like system -- I think it is too simple to offer much evidence for this phenomena as it may exist in the carbon-based biological world. However, if many different kinds of models/simulations exhibit behavior like this, then it could indicate that the phenomenon is fairly common, and perhaps should be expected in biological systems as well. > Finally, the creatures turned out to be smarter than I. Given > 20 creatures and the amount of food initially in their environment, I > estimated a maximum average survival time ~50 turns. However, while > watching my experiments I found them surviving 60-65 turns after awhile. > After investigating my code, I discovered the creatures were exploiting > a "bug" in their universe. This is actually fairly common, from what I've heard. Many people doing A-Life or CA-like simulations with evolution often find that the systems learn to exploit bugs in the system. I sometimes wonder if humanity itself is nothing more than a bug in "The System". :-) -- Dave Hiebeler | Internet: hiebeler@think.com Thinking Machines Corporation | Phone: (617) 234-4070 (work) 245 First Street | "Off we go, into the wilds you ponder." Cambridge, MA 02142 USA |